Overview

• Koji Kinutani died on August 1, 2025, at age 82 after battling malignant lymphoma.
• Born in Nara City, he studied oil painting at Tokyo University of the Arts and honed classical fresco techniques in Italy before returning to Japan.
• He pioneered the integration of fresco methods with vivid primary colors to depict mythological and modern subjects across canvases and public murals.
• His honors include the 1974 Yasui Prize, membership in the Japan Art Academy in 2001, designation as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2014 and the Order of Culture in 2021.
• He produced the official poster for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and supported emerging artists through teaching roles and the Kinutani Prize for painters under 35.